


Heist

by Niall_Princess_Horan



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cancer, How Do I Tag, Little Brothers, M/M, Sad Harry, Sad Niall Horan, Shy Niall Horan, Theft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:33:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27961583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niall_Princess_Horan/pseuds/Niall_Princess_Horan
Summary: They've got the muscle.They've got the bad boy.They've got the brains.Having the muscle, the mystery and the brains isn't enough to pull off a heist like this. They need someone with talent. Someone who's actually capable of pulling this off. The only question being, what would he want in return? What's the asking price for stealing an emblem worth £1.2 Million.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne/Harry Styles, Niall Horan/Harry Styles, Niall Horan/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a new idea I've had!

They've got the muscle behind this operation. The one who can talk his way out of any situation going. Captain sensible, who isn't afraid of any situation that arises because already thought about it. He's already calculated every single possible scenario in his head and he's worked out multiple outcomes... so that they don't get caught.

They've got the bad boy. The one who the cops will go after, but he's going to be nowhere near the scene of the crime. They won't be able to pin any of this to him. But he's the one that they'll be looking at. They'll exhort all of their time and resources on him being guilty, that any mistakes will have time to be corrected and any lose ends will be tied up. He's going to be miles away, with an alibi. Not having the slightest idea about the country's largest crime being committed... so the cops will think.

They've got the brains. The one who has concocted this entire plan from start to finish, inside out and top to bottom. He's calculated every scenario going, he's got a solution for every situation that will arise and he's figured out that they can't do this alone... 

Having the muscle, the mystery and the brains isn't enough to pull off a heist like this. They need someone with talent. Someone who's actually capable of pulling this off. The only question being, what would he want in return? What's the asking price for stealing an emblem worth £1.2 Million.

*2 MONTHS EARLIER*

"C-cancer?" I stutter.

"I'm sorry. The tumour that is growing is expanding at a rapid pace and I'm afraid, without chemotherapy, your sister will die" the nurse explains softly to me and he face drops. She knows. She knows as well as I do that the insurance isn't going to cover this. I'm also sure that she can tell based on my tatty shirt and unwashed jeans that we don't come from a family that is financially blessed.

"How long has she got?" I ask as firmly as I can, knowing that my voice cracked halfway and mentally kicking myself for not being stronger for her. Gemma is the one facing this horrible disease this is killing her and I can't even keep it together for one conversation. How weak I must look. But to my surprise, the nurse isn't judging me - not for my clothes or for crying or the fact that neither of our parents has been to visit her since being admitted. They all know. I'm sure Gemma's file has a massive red mark filed against it stating that we're poor and orphaned. But this lady in front of me, Alice, isn't make me feel any of those things. She's looking me in the eye, she's squeezing my hand reassuringly and offering me tea and biscuits for the shock. She's making me feel human despite my lower-class background. 

"Without chemotherapy, I would estimate around 1 year. With chemotherapy, there's no telling how long she'll have left. The road won't be easy but she would have an estimated 10 years at least, maybe longer if the cancer doesn't return"

"Okay, um- sorry to ask- um-" I stammer, trying to politely ask how much this will cost. Not to weigh up the value of my sisters life, but to figure out how much I'm going to have to steal.

"I'll get you a quick breakdown of the fees" she smiles softly, patting my knee and heading to the computer in the corner of the private room. She does some typing for a few minutes and then the printer to my right comes alive and prints a few pages. Alice clips them together and hands them over to me.

"Okay, so the cost of each chemotherapy session is £9,000 and it is estimated that each person has 8 cycles, 1 every 3 weeks. This includes the aftercare, private room and surgery. All meals will be included and any medications will be paid for with this. The total is £72,000 for the treatment. This page is a breakdown of all the accumulated fees so far. So, the room is £100 per night, times 21 days - £2,100. The medications given for pain relief, £1,690. The tests undertaken to determine the illness, including the CT scan, ECG, Blood tests, heart monitors etc is £7,904. The personal care given to Gemma for her duration of 21 days, including bathing, dressing, meals and beverages is £1,050. And the transport for the hospital trips, is 7 journeys at £2,012 per trip. This brings the accumulated cost so far to £26,828"

"Okay, um- when- when would you need the first payment? And- um- am I allowed to pay in instalments?"

"You are allowed to pay in instalments, that's not a problem Harry. The only issue is, well, I'm afraid before the hospital can perform any treatment for Gemma, the outstanding invoice must be cleared. You have 14 days to pay the outstanding balance, before security will have to escort you both off of the premises. I'm so sorry this- it isn't fair. It's company policy- I"

"It's okay. I understand. You're following instructions from those higher up the food chain" I smile weakly. I know she's trying and I know she's gutted to have to deliver this news, but someone has to do it.

"There is a way to reduce fees for treatment. You could ask for Gemma to be put on a ward as opposed to a private room. She would be on with three other women, visit hours are the same and all of the care will be the same. The only difference is, instead of walls separating the beds, it's a curtain. The fees will be reduced from £9,000 per session to £8,000. I know it's not much- but-"

"-No. That's a massive help. Thank you, Alice, I appreciate this so much" I smile. I don't have the heart to tell her that I still don't have £64k lying around. But it's better that £72k. Just.

I leave the hospital disheartened and miserable. I can't even go see Gemma as visiting hours are long since over.

I pull out my phone and pack of cigarettes with the lighter squat inside the packet and spark up a cig. I press it to my lips and inhale deeply twice before thumbing through my phone and dialling the first contact I come to, I exhale as I press the green dial button. I press the phone to my ear and continue to inhale the poison then exhale the stress as I wait for him to answer. He may be my best friend and loyal as a dog, but he's fucking shite at picking up the phone. It goes to voicemail which I expect by now and I call him again. This time he answers on the third ring.

"What do you want now Styles?" he laughs, his standard greeting since I called him for bale money at 14 years old. 4 years later, he hasn't changed his greeting - says he'll change his when I change - so like never?

I laugh at the joking tone to his voice and scoff "Oh you love me Payno, you know you do"

"Yeah, yeah" he chuckles but I know he can tell I haven't called to joke around about how much he loves me. He can probably hear it in my voice and he asks how it went.

I pause, wondering how to word it. I don't have the balls to tell even my best friend that my sister is going to die, purely because I don't have the money to save her. I feel like the world's worst brother and a failure all in one. But trying to keep afloat a family, a home- with a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and clothes on our backs is harder than it sounds. My income just never seems to be enough, no matter how many shifts I pick up my income never seems to cover the monthly out goings. I'm already 3 months behind with the rent, trying to pay the medical fees and now if I don't pay my landlord £500 by Monday, I'm going to be evicted. But how do I tell him this over the phone? Or at all? I know Liam is my best friend and would never judge me, he never has so far, and I know he would do anything he could to help me but he is no better off than I am really - the only difference being that he has 2 parents. Both of them work 40 hours a week to provide and save for him and his 2 sisters to go to college. The economy just isn't what it used to be, it's gone to shit and I don't know a single person who isn't struggling.

I know that he'd offer me a place to stay in a heartbeat, but it wouldn't feel right. This has been my family home since before I was born and I can't just up stick and leave. All my memories are there, all the reminders of my childhood and whilst it wasn't the best childhood going - it wasn't the worst. We never went hungry or worried we wouldn't have a bed to sleep in. Sure, we couldn't have many none essential things - for instance I didn't get an Xbox until I was 14 and stole one, but Liam bailed me out and I only got caught the first time.

I remember the small things about our home, like the hole in the door from where Gemma kicked it trying to splatter a spider. She missed it but got the door and made a massive hole in it. I told dad is was me so she could go to her friends party that weekend. I went to bed with a black eye and hunger pains, eased when Gemma snuck me some cake in from the party. We shared it sat on my bed and fell asleep not long after. Dad apologised in the morning and promised to never do it again - as they all do - but to my surprise it didn't happen again. He started drinking more and more instead and left one night for the pub only to never return. I was 11 and no matter how many missing persons reports mum filed, the police couldn't find him.

I just sign and tell him to call Malik and meet us at the spot, I'll be there in 10. He sighs and says he'll be there in 5.

I head over to the bus stop, dropping my finished cig to the floor as I go. I get a dirty look from a woman with a child, presumably for littering, and roll my eyes at her. I use the remaining change in the back of my wallet to get me over to the part, having to get off 3 miles away from my usual bus stop as my change wouldn't stretch as far as usual. I groan and spark up another cig as I cross through the long green field with too much over grown grass and too many weeds. It could be beautiful with a little care and attention, but no one round here gives 2 shits about a field anymore.

I head over the small little stream, using the rocks I placed as stepping stones years ago as the path. I knock lightly on the shed door before entering, knowing there's no need to knock but it's habit.

The shed has long since been abandoned and we've made it our mission to make it our own. Sort of like a den to chill out and escape the real world. We have two tatty couches shoved in an L shape to make a corner sofa. There is a used square coffee table that only has 3 legs and a broom handle as the 4th to stop it falling over. We have a mini fridge in there that doesn't actually work as there's no electric or heating but it keeps the rats away from the food and drinks. There isn't much else in here. We thought about replacing the floors when Zayn tripped up and broke his arm on one of the loose panels, but considering we don't own the property and could be evicted for trespassing at any time, none of us want to spend any money on the place. Everything in here so far is what we've found around the streets and dragged over.

When I enter the shed, Payno and Malik are already there sat on the couches and rolling up joints. I nod at them both as a greeting and receive nods back as I plonk myself down and grab a joint Zayn has just finished rolling.

"Hey, that was mine"

"Roll another" I mutter, sparking it up and dropping back against the couch letting the poison seep through my veins and feeling it instantly relax me.

He growls at me but does.

I drown out their conversations and the buzzing from my head as best I can.

There is only one thought running through my head : How do I save her?


	2. Chapter 2

HARRY POV  


When I awake sometime later, one of the boys have covered me with a blanket, and I'm grateful as I can feel the chilly air even through the blanket and a jumper. Past experience tells me it's nearly midnight and when I check my phone, I see I'm right 11:47pm.

I glance over to the other couch and see Zayn fast asleep, also supporting a blanket over him, but Liam is nowhere to be found. I know he must have gone home. He's the only one of the three of us that is monitored by parents. Zayn's parents are usually too preoccupied with his younger sisters and have given up trying to keep track of his location. He always shows up after a day or 2, never saying where he's been and never promising to tell them he's safe next time. They stopped asking when he was 15 and never have a clue where he is, but he always returns home and for that they're grateful. But Liam's parents will flip a nut if he isn't home by 10pm. You'd never believe he was 19.

I roll over onto my back and groan, rubbing my hands down my face. The only downside with weed is the downside. You can't stay high forever. Every time you get high your body becomes more and more immune to the poison, so your body needs more and more each time in order to remain on the same floaty state. It sucks because it means more expense, but needs must and I must drown out the world that is my pathetic life.

Zayn laughs from the other couch and copies me, moving his own greasy air off of his face and sitting up with a whine.

"Fucking freezing in here" he grunts and I laugh but agree. It really is.

He hands over half a stale bottle of water and I nod appreciatively, taking a mouthful and grimacing as I swallow. It's not the best but I've definitely swallowed worse things.

He finishes the water and puts the empty bottle on the table.

"So, how gone were you last night? You missed Li leaving"

"Gone. But good, didn't have to catch you sucking his dick; again" I smirk.

"Hey! That was one time!"

"Yeah, one time that I caught you. It's happened since then, I'm not blind" I roll my eyes.

"No comment" he smirks and his face tells me everything I need to know.

"You told Pezza yet?"

"Not yet. Waiting till her exams are over. Don't wanna be the reason she isn't focused, you know?"

"Hmmm. Good call" I hum, knowing he doesn't want to hurt her. He does love her, in his own weird, slightly twisted way. This thing with Liam just happened one day and whilst neither of them regret it, they aren't proud of it either. Perrie is lovely and doesn't deserve to get hurt, but at the same time - does anyone deserve the pain this world brings?

The sad thing is, she would understand. She would be hurt of course; they've been dating 4 years. But she would understand that sometimes people do fall out of love and sometimes the things you thought you wanted and needed- turn out to be something different entirely.

"You remember our convo from last night?" Zayn asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Nah, not a clue mate. What convo?" I frown, scratching my stomach and rolling a cig.

"We were googling how to get rich quick. You know, to save Gem" he says quietly and my breath hitches as my hands fumble and I drop the cig. I curse and pick it up, grabbing the lighter and sparking it up.

"You told me and Li, about the hospital fees and we were trying to come up with a quick cash injection. You made a list on your phone, in the notes section" he continues when I don't say anything and I grab my phone from the table, using my thumb to unlock it. Sure enough, the first thing that's on the screen is the list- proving it was the last thing I worked on before passing out. I frown, having no recollection of this conversation or using my phone last night 

The list makes me laugh as I vaguely remember writing it and the little side notes of negativity. But the title is amusing.

How to be bazzzzzilionaires:

Become an escort/prozzie (Can dudes even fake it?)Become a hit man (Yucky blood and dead people!)Rob a bank (YEah right)

I sigh as Gemma's small pale face is brought back to me. Her dull eyes and small body lying motionless on the bed as she fights for her life. Zayn nudges my arm, knowing where I've gone in my own head and I smile at him appreciatively.

I scoff knowing there is no why in hell I could pull off any of these. I'm still a virgin and don't exactly fancy going down the prozzie route - especially this early in my life. I'm not a violent person so I don't even know why the second one was put on the list. And as for the third? Who the hell could get away with a bank robbery?!

Clearly intoxicated Harry isn't going to save Gemma. Neither is sober Harry at this rate.

I feel Zayn glance over the list over my shoulder and he sighs also, knowing none of these are going to cut it. There is no way in hell we can pull off any of these. We both sigh and flop down onto the couch in defeat. We cuddle in for warmth and lay the blankets over both of us for warmth, as usual. Luckily the shed door and walls are thick enough to keep out the majority of the cold and the wind hitting against it. The only downside is the cold coming from the floor where the panels aren't great.

"We'll get through this Hazza, I promise you" he whispers, pulling my head onto his chest and rubbing my hair until I fall asleep. I feel him take the half-lit cig and hear him smoke the last before dying it out on the table.

It's a few days later when Zayn and I are heading into work that we bring up the money issues again.

It's like we're obsessed with discussing the one thing we don't have. Like a starving person constantly fantasising about food even though it makes them feel worse.

"What if it was something smaller?" Zayn mutters as we wait for the buss to work. It's a shitty job in Asda, stocking shelves, but it doesn't pay too terribly. We both started working there around the same time, 3 years ago and became instant friends. We swore as soon as school finished, we would go to college and get decent jobs. That was 2 years ago and no such luck. It's not for lack of trying, but employers don't want people like us; people who dropped out of school at 14 for family commitments and have been fucked ever since. Zayn struggled because of the tattoos initially, never even making it to the table for the interview as he didn't 'look the part' but if they'd have given him a chance, they would have seen he's actually a fucking genius. His intelligence has yet to be matched and he would make an amazing teacher, but no one will throw him a life line. I was the opposite, I looked cute and approachable so people offered me interview after interview only to realise I'm not that bright at what they wanted me to do. I can hack into any electronic device going, but can't do basic mathematics. So, to rebel, I covered myself in tattoos like Zayn and we stayed at Asda together.

"What if what was smaller? Your dick? Wouldn't see it" I joke and he shoves me lightly into the road. A car beeps at me as he swerves to avoid me, but he was only going like 20 miles per hour, it wouldn't have hurt if he'd hit me.

"No dickhead. Not a bank, what about something smaller?" he mutters, eyes flickering over to the jewellery shop opposite us.

"We'd need to take the lot for it to be worth it" I mutter, blowing out a puff of my cig. It is a good idea, but this shop in particular isn't massive so there isn't anything overly expensive there. Most pricey thing is probably 1K which won't even cover one round of chemo.

"Yeah, and then it's flogging it after" he mutters.

"What about a bigger target. Same merch?" I grin and he frowns before seeming to clock in to what I'm thinking. Jewellery is a great idea; we just need more high-end jewellery.

"Mate! I know just the thing! Get Payno to meet us later" he grins before running off down the street.

"What about work?" I call after him.

"I'm sick" he laughs then pretends to cough.

"You're a dick" I call back, getting judgemental looks from people also sat at the bus stop. I roll my eyes at them and light up another cig.

"So this, emblem? thing, how much is it worth?" I ask Zayn as he tells us his plan to steal this jewel and flog it.

"1.2 Million" he smirks and Liam whistles appreciatively.

"1.2 Mil! The security on that thing will be as bad as Buckingham Palace! We'd have better look robbing the fucking Queen! And no- that wasn't a suggestion" I snap, cutting him off before he gets ideas.

"It's not that bad! Think about it, we steal this we never have to work again!" Zayn grins, smile as wide as the cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"It would be £400k each Hazza" Liam chimes in and I can't believe they're seriously considering this. I can't believe they think we can get away with this!!

"Look, you want to help Gemma, this is how we help Gemma! Zayn adds.

"Yeah it's risky, but what's the alternative?"

"Steal something with less value!" I snap.

"It makes no diffrerence if we get caught. I looked it up, whether we steal stuff worth 200K or we steal this, if we get caught we get 15 years in prison- each" Zayn mutters.

"May as well go down with a bang" Liam laughs.

"I don't know.. can we even pull this off?" I hesitate. I know for a fact the three of us can't complete this mission successfully. Zayn is the one we can point the cops to so they waste their time and resources looking to book him - giving us time to clear up any evidence we do leave or mistakes we do make. Liam is strong, he can be the muscle, taking out any guards and clearing the way. And I can hack into the camera feeds and make us essentially ghosts. But we're missing something... or someone.

"YES! Think about it!"

"How do we break in there in the first place?" I ponder.

"Harry we can do this-"

"No Zayn. You asked me think about it and I am. You can take the fall for it, but they won't have any evidence for you- they'll waste their time and money trying to frame you for it and we can clear up any mistakes we've made" I think out loud.

"Yes! Now we're talking" Zayn cheers, happy to be the prime suspect (for some unknown reason)

"Liam is the muscle and I'm the logic guy who's good with tech. We need someone else. We can't do this just the three of us" I mutter.

"We can-"

"No, Liam he's right. We need someone who is good at getting in and out of places easily" Zayn mumbles, catching on to my way of thinking.

"Tommo" Liam mumbles.

"What's a Tommo?" I frown, scrunching my nose up.

"Not what, who. He's a ghost when it comes to shit like this. Cops have been trying to bust him for years but he never leaves anything behind"

"Okay? Where can we find him?" I ask the group.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter came quicker than expected lol!

Louis POV

I awake to Nialler crawling into my bed and immediately wrap my arms around him.

"You good baby?" I whisper, kissing his cheek.

"Bad dream" he sighs.

"I've got you, sweetie. Get some sleep" I coo, patting his back until he falls into a natural slumber.

I manage to get around an hour sleep before I'm wide awake, scrolling through my phone. I start on Faceboook, then check Twitter before landing on TikTok. I thought it was a shit App at first and only downloaded it to take the piss out of people. but it's actually a good pass time and some on the content is decent.

"Lou? Some guys are at the door for you" Dad whispers as he peeks his head through my door, he smiles softly when he sees Niall snuggled into my arms.

"Who are they?" I mumble.

"Not sure, they said they needed your help on a project" he shrugs, clearly unfazed. Does he not see the issue with some strange men tracking me down, coming to my house and trying to get in for a 'project'?!

"Okay, I'll come to the door" I mutter, detangling Niall from me so I can stand up. He whines and I rest him on my pillow, patting his back until his breathing evens out again.

"I have work bud, so I'll be back around 6" Dad smiles and I give him a quick cuddle before he heads to grab his jacket.

"See yah dad"

I pull on some joggers, not bothering with a shirt and make my way to the front door, greeting Melissa on my way.

"Hey Lou, I have work, can you give Ni his bottle?" she fusses and I nod, knowing full well I'll be making him a fry up, with a cup of tea.

"You're such a good big brother to him. Is he wet do you know?" she adds, pulling her scarf around her neck.

"Not sure, I'll check when he wakes up" I smile as politely as I can, knowing full well he uses the actual toilet as and when he can.

"Thank you, darling. Your dad has gone to work also, I'll be back around 5" she fusses and I nod, waiting for her to leave, not bothering to tell her that I'm aware of where my dad is - because we do this thing called - communicate.

After Melissa leaves, I stand firmly in the doorway to see what these boys want.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I mutter, staring each of them in the eyes. I start with a muscly guy with soft eyes who reminds me of a pupp and I can immediately tell he wouldn't hurt a fly and the muscles are for show. He has no bruises or cuts to suggest he's been in a recent fight, but is littered with tattoos - most of them seemingly random with a few that look decent. I next rest my eyes on a tan boy with stupidly tall hair, but it suits him and he's actually really attractive, but everything about him screams 'pretty boy' - Ahhh, so he's the bait. Makes sense, someone that pretty, with cheekbones to die for and with the seemingly bad boy persona is a great rouse to have the cops chasing their tails. He is also covered in tattoos but they seem to be done by someone with actual talent. Finally, my eyes rest on a lanky boy, with unruly curls, stood at the back. His eyes are tired and pleasing and he looks like he hasn't eaten or slept in days- a sure sign he's under stress - presumably financial. He's pretty and seems innocent which leads me to believe he's here because he has to be - not because he wants to be - again confirming my theory about being under financial obligations. Once again, he is covered in tattoos but I can't help being drawn to his, wondering what each one means and wanting to learn the story behind all of the beautiful ink marking his beautiful body.

"Can we come in?" puppy eyes asks and I hold the door tighter.

"I won't ask again" I snap.

"We have a proposition for you" cheek bones states and I scoff.

"Not interested" I mutter, starting to close the door when I hear a raspy timid voice.

"We need your help".

I'm stopped in my tracks. I don't usually care about helping people I don't know, but something about his boy, about this voice - tells me it's true. I can hear the panic and the desperation laced with pain and fear and I can tell he's doing this to help someone else. A girlfriend perhaps, a family member?

"This doesn't mean I'm helping you" I state firmly, opening the door and nodding them in.

I point them into the kitchen and they take a seat at the table. I stand in front of them.

"Okay, I want three answers from each of you and I'll decide whether to bother helping you. Lie to me, I'll know and you're on your own" I snap.

"Okay" curls whispers.

"Got it" chimes in cheekbones.

"Sure thing" Puppy says quietly.

"Names"

"Edward" curls whispers and I roll my eyes at him.

"Then 'Edward' I'm not helping you. I only had one rule, don't lie, and you broke it straight away" I scoff "Get out".

"No please! I'm sorry!"

"Out-"

"-My name is Harry Edward Styles, I'm 19 I work at Asda stocking shelves and I live on the North Side. My favourite colour is yellow and I love The Eagles but hate Mcfly. I have size 9 shoes but should really get 10's because they're too small and hurt my toes, but I dont want clown feet. I can hold my breath for 1 minute and 42 seconds under water but cant actually swim and-" he rushes out, practically in tears.

I press my lips together and tilt my head calculating him, holding a hand up to silence him and his nervous rambling. 

"Please" he whispers, the first tear falling.

"Fine, Lie to me again and you're done"

"Thank you! Thank you so much" he smiles weakly.

"Liam James Payne" states puppy eyes trying to shake my hand, I don't accept but I nod at him.

"Zayn" mutters cheekbones.

"And I assume you have a last name?" I prompt, I want to know exactly who I'm working with. Harry giving me his middle name as an alias was predictable and understandable as he seems to be the one with the most to lose here. Liam didn't hesitate to tell he his full name which suggests pride of where he comes from and who he is- which tells me he's the better off of the three, probably already in a decent college and going along with this plan to help his friends out of loyalty. Zayn only giving me his first name suggests he's mysterious but I can tell it's an act as his lips twitched as though he was automatically going to reveal his last name and stopped himself.

"It's M-"

"-Thanks curls, but I want to hear it from cheekbones" I say coldly before curls can tell me.

I stare at cheekbones until he looks at the floor and mutters his full name. I hear it easily but make him repeat it louder.

"Zayn Javvad Malik" he snaps.

"Good. Reasons your involvement" I state, making myself a cup of tea.

"We're going to steal-"

"I didn't ask the plan, I asked why each of you are doing it" I cut off Puppy.

"Sick of unrealistic expectations been put on me. Wanna move out and do my own thing" Puppy says politely instead and as shit as the reason is, I believe him.

"Sick of being a human punching bag to my mum's boyfriend" cheekbones mutters and I nod, having already seen the bruises on his hip when he sat down.

"Oh, Um, my sister is ill, I- I can't afford the treatment" Curls whispers, tears once again falling and I know the diagnosis is serious.

"Diagnosis, curls?" I aska little softer.

"Bone cancer"

"Hmmm. Sorry to hear that mate. Life expectancy?" I mutter, actually feeeling sorry for the kid.

"A year at most, without treatment. 10 + with" he sighs.

"Okay. What do each of you think you bring to this heist?" I ask out loud, I know what each of them brings but I want to know what they think their involvement will be.

"I'm the tech guy. Good at hacking and stuff" Curls says gently, underselling himself as expected.

"I'm the tough one, you know - facing the cops and all" cheekbones smirks, overselling himself, also expected.

"I have muscles, so I'm pretty strong, military training and that" puppy shrugs, surprising me with the military training as I didn't pick up on that. However, now that I pay attention, he does stand and sit a little straighter than the others and his formality when trying to shake my hand does add up.

"Okay, so you're the logical thinker, the over planner that will cater for every arising situation and plan multiple ways out of it. You can ghost the cameras and hack the doors and gates, getting in and out without a trace" I tell curls and he looks shocked that I seem to know him so well.

"You're the bait, nothing more and nothing less" I tell cheekbones who scoffs at me, but doesn't disagree - clearly knowing his place.

"You're the wrecking ball. Captain sensible with the muscles and formality to talk your way out of any situation" I tell puppy, who nods acceptingly.

"Only thing you're lacking is the ghost" I smirk.

"Which is where you come in" puppy grins.

"Hopefully!" Curls adds, glaring at puppy clearly not wanting to test me.

I sip my tea and ponder.

"We could tell you what we're stealing. If that would help" curls adds gently.

"I'm not fussed what you're nicking mate. Trying to see if you all have the balls to follow through. Last thing I'm doing is getting involved only for you to pansy out" I tell him firmly but a little kinder than I have been.

"My sister has bone cancer and the only thing- the only thing keeping her alive is chemotherapy that is 8 grand a session. I can't afford to keep my sister alive. So, I don't have a choice here. I back out, she dies. Simple as" curls growls, finally showing a little passion.

"What about-"

"Lou! Mummy home?" Niall calls from upstairs and I smile into my cup at how adorable he is.

"No babe, just me and you. I have some mates over too" I call back, not missing the smile from curls when I call them my 'mates'.

"Can you take me pad off?" he asks, tottling into the kitchen and stopping in the doorway when he sees the guys sat at the table. 

"Sure babe" I grin and head over to him, but he goes into the hallway - out of their eye sight. I cut the back of the pad with some scissors, slowly making my way through the layers of tape Melissa has wrapped around him and he smiles once I've cut through.

"Who they?"

"Just some mates" I say gently, grabbing him some wipes.

"The pretty one laughed at me" he frowns and I growl at the thought of anyone making my little brother feel bad.

"Which one babe?" I coo, helping him step out of the pad.

"Um, the tanned one" he whispers.

"It's okay baby, he won't be laughing for long" I whisper, helping him clean up and step into some joggers.

"Time she back?"

"5 ish. So, pad on at about 4, just in case" I say gently and he nods but sighs.

"Put some cream on, your thighs are red again" I whisper as I pull him into the kitchen and make him a cup of tea.

"Who- um- who's that?" Curls asks softly.

"My brother" I reply, handing Niall the cup of tea.

"Oh, Hi. I'm Harry" he smiles at Niall who nods shyly.

"Don't be shy babe, he won't hurt you" I say gently, warning curls that he better not harm a single hair on his head.

"Kaay. Um, hi"

"Hey mate, I'm Liam"

"Hello" Niall nods.

"Zayn" cheekbones mutters, making no effort whatsoever to be kind to my baby brother.

Niall frowns and looks at me, silently asking if he has to be friends with Zayn.

"You don't have to be friends with any of them babe. They need my help. They can be nice to both of us" I say softly and I feel curls glance at me and then glare at cheekbones.

"Zayn! Be nice" he snaps.

"Fine! Sup, I'm Zayn" he mutters.

"Umm, no thanks Lou" Niall mutters, not wanting to make an effort with him and I don't blame him. He takes his tea and goes to the living room; I hear the Xbox turn on a moment later and leave him to it.

"Okay, I have one test for each of you. If you all pass, I'll help you" I say smugly, doubting any of them will pass but hoping they do - my life has been boring these past few months - a little adventure and risk is just what the doctor ordered.

"Harry, you will hack into the Bank or England and transfer 10p to an offshore account. Don't care who's it is. Don't get caught" I tell him and he nods.

"Liam you will talk to 5 strangers in the street and take 3 wallets. Don't care which 3. You'll then drop each one on the floor and call out to ask whose wallet it is. Don't get caught taking them" Liam also nods and begins to write it down until I tell him not to for the electronic paper traces.

"Zayn, you will make the police from the market trail you for at least 10 minutes before they apprehend you for looking suspicious, you are to take nothing" he nods and smirks, knowing he has the easy job - look naughty, be good.

"I'll be watching nearby for all three, watching how you work. Any of you get caught, I'm out. Any of you don't finish, I'm out. Any of you upset my little brother again - I. Am. Out" I snap the last one at Zayn who nods apologetically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated!!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!! More character development as the chapters progress


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